Picture Bride
by inu382
Summary: With no marriage prospects and no hope for the Saotome Dojo, Ranma resigns to living life as a picture bride and marries Kuno Tatewaki in order to make enough money to help his mother. Ryoga's just unlucky enough to be the poor sap to help Ranma. Ranma/Ryoga AU
1. Well This Sucks

…Fuck, man.

* * *

Saotome Ranma frowned as he looked at the picture of one Kuno Tatewaki. The man in the picture with neat, black hair; a handsome face that was no longer boyish; and, evidently, a sword in his hand as he stared back up unflinchingly at Ranma. The boy lowered the picture and looked into the mirror, his dark hair in a pigtail and his tan evidence of the long hours he spent perfecting his martial arts. His father Genma had hoped that their dojo would be lucrative; if joined with their friends, the Tendo family, the two styles of martial arts might have had a chance. However, after meeting the Tendo girls—the mature and kind Kasumi, the street-wise and crafty Nabiki, and the sweet but temperamental Akane—Ranma realized he could never marry any of those girls. Kasumi was helplessly in love with the local doctor and Ranma would never stand in the way of true love; Nabiki was independent and intelligent and Ranma felt that she was independent enough to find her own husband; and Akane wanted very much to be a good wife (though she was _awful_ at it) and didn't love martial arts as much as Ranma did. They were simply incompatible and Nodoka, his doting mother, decided that the marriage would be useless and detrimental to their dojo. Besides, much as Akane seemed to like Ranma, she could never get over his curse.

With a scowl, Ranma took the other picture on the floor—a picture of a red-headed girl with a pigtail and a charming smile that looked startlingly similar to Ranma.

Training in the cursed springs at Jusenkyou had been a bad idea; now Ranma was practically a woman all the time and his father spent most of his time as a panda. Though it was hilarious to see his father the first time he transformed, it was traumatic to return to his mother and admit he was no longer a "man amongst men." As if his own caustic personality wasn't enough to keep him and Akane at odds, Ranma's cursed form was always the object of Akane's jealousy. Nodoka had loved treating Ranma like a daughter (when it tickled Nodoka's fancy) and taught Ranma how to be a woman; during the first few weeks of the Saotome family's stay at the Tendo's, Ranma made it a point to prove to Akane that, even as a man, he was a better woman than her. His cooking didn't poison anyone; he dressed better and was even capable of sewing; and he was neater than her. There was no way he and Akane could have married, what with Akane always bitter of the fact that her husband was a better wife.

In retrospect, perhaps he should've pretended to suck. Then he wouldn't be stuck in this predicament. Ranma sighed as he looked at Kuno's picture again.

Money was definitely tight. None of his marriage prospects—those that were okay with marrying a half girl, half guy husband, anyway—came with much dowry and Nodoka had fallen ill from malnourishment. In the end, Ranma had agreed to become a picture bride. In the hopes of making money in America with his new husband—whose letters were the only form of communication Ranma had—Ranma had sent a picture of his female self off to an arranger. Kuno, the poor fool, had responded. Ranma stood up, stark naked, and walked to the bucket of cold water he kept in his room; after a quick splash, she was a woman again.

And likely would be for the rest of her life.

Ranma sighed, slipping on her kimono and making sure everything was packed. She lugged the giant suitcase to the genkan, turned back inside, and entered her mother's room. Genma sat, cross-legged, next to the futon where Nodoka lay. Silently, Ranma approached and smiled at her sleeping mother. Nodoka's illness had caused her to lose a significant amount of weight, but Nodoka was still a picture of beauty to Ranma. Gently, the red-headed girl caressed her mother's cheek and Nodoka's eyes fluttered open.

"Ranma?" she asked weakly with a small smile.

"Yeah, mom. I'm heading out. Thought I'd say goodbye."

Nodoka nodded and leaned forward; Ranma bridged the small gap between them and Nodoka kissed her sometimes daughter on the forehead. "I know this isn't the life you wanted...if you don't want to do this, you don't have to."

Genma's fists tightened, grabbing at the fabric on his knees.

"Mom, I have to do this. I promise Kuno and I will make lots of money; we'll send it over and you'll be up and walking in no time! Believe me, mom. You're more important than honor."

Genma nodded minutely, ignoring the itch at the corner of his eye. He had taught his son well.

"Well, I should get going. I'll write as soon as I'm in Hawaii," Ranma leaned back and sat on her haunches, smiling at Nodoka. She turned to her father. "Take care of her, Pops."

"Make me proud, boy," Genma replied. "I'll protect your mother."

"Ah! Ranma, before I forget!" Nodoka suddenly said, pushing herself up. Ranma and Genma rushed forward to help her.

"Mom! Don't force yourself!"

"Dear! You have to rest!"

"Oh, nonsense," Nodoka huffed, "This is important. Reach under my pillow, Ranma."

The girl did as she was told and took out a water bottle, the label reading "Emergency Only!"

"I asked for a favor once; that bottle contains water from one of the cursed springs in Jusenkyou. If your husband turns out to be a scoundrel, splash him with this. I think the guard said it'll turn a man into a small animal. You can find a way home from there."

Ranma chuckled. "Mom, I can take on anyone, even as a girl." However, Ranma thought, Kuno looked strong and her girl form was weaker and shorter than her male form. Shrugging and deciding to err on the side of safety, Ranma dutifully packed the bottle. "I guess it can't hurt, Mom."

Nodoka smiled happily. "All I want is for you to be happy, Ranma."

* * *

Weeks on the boat did not agree with Ranma's stomach but, finally, she had arrived in Hawaii. The other picture brides huddled around her and shifted nervously off the boat. Ranma frowned and held her head high, walking with no hesitation. Picture bride or no, she was still a man amongst men. The workers at the dock quickly ushered all the would-be wives into a small waiting room and explained briefly that the women should be patient. It took an hour, but finally Ranma heard her name; with more bravery than she thought she had, Ranma stood and walked toward her new life. She paused at the door, seriously considering running away.

But then Ranma thought of her mother.

Face set in grim determination, Ranma turned the knob for the door and walked through the threshold. Inside the small room was a low, rectangular table. In front of it stood a Japanese man, who Ranma assumed was the one marrying them. And finally, her azure eyes fell on Kuno. An audible sigh of relief left Ranma when she saw he looked the exact way as he did in the picture; Ranma had heard rumors of old men using old pictures from their youth to trap attractive, young girls into marriage. As Kuno stared at her, Ranma quickly became unnerved; did he know her secret?

"PIG TAILED GODDESS!" he exclaimed.

Ranma huffed—_that_ stupid moniker—and realized just how dim her new husband was. "Yes, yes, I'm here."

Unfortunately, that wasn't enough to quell Kuno's ardent desire. Faster than Ranma thought him capable, Kuno rushed to her and crushed the red head in a fierce hug. "At last, you have come to me, my beautiful little wife!"

Seemingly tired with their antics—or perhaps some god in heaven heard Ranma's plea to be able to breathe again—the man in front of them coughed awkwardly and insisted they go ahead with the marriage. The ceremony was quick and painless; Ranma even managed to trick Kuno to wait until later for his kiss. As they left, Ranma adeptly avoiding holding hands with Kuno, the redhead looked back at the sea. A small sigh left her as she gazed longingly at the island that was no longer within sight.

"There it is; the chariot that will take us to our castle of love!" Kuno suddenly said, and Ranma turned, looking at a small carriage. The horse-drawn ride was old, but looked strong enough to hold the many couples climbing aboard. Curiously enough, there was a boy on the carriage with no woman sitting beside him. The man looked a full head taller than her—he looked about the same height as Ranma's male form. His dark hair was shaggy, but neat, and his thick bangs fell across his forehead, a yellow and black bandana tied around his head. The short-sleeved yellow shirt was clearly made by hand—perhaps even by his hand—but was functional and form-fitting. His dark black pants had ropes at the hems at his ankles tied up to his knees, likely to keep out insects. On his feet were simple black Chinese shoes, similar to Ranma's. He was strong, muscled, and handsome; his most striking feature, however, were his deep viridian eyes. Intrigued, Ranma sat beside him.

Momentarily, she worried that Kuno would become jealous and pull her away, but the man began to brag to the others about his new "pig-tailed goddess" and he left Ranma alone. Unfortunately, he was rather loud.

The young man beside Ranma raised a brow and glanced at her. "Pig tailed goddess?"

Her cheeks flushed. "My name is Saotome Ranma. That guy is just an idiot."

The man looked away as the carriage began to move, then looked back at her. "…Hibiki Ryoga. Why did you marry him, then?"

Ryoga, huh? She smiled sadly. "My mom is sick and I needed money. My parents can't afford to give a dowry, so we thought it would be better if I married over here. Kuno said he makes lots of money in his letters. I figure I could send some back to my mom so she gets better."

"I'm so sorry," Ryoga suddenly said, a pitying look on his face. "They hate us Japanese here. I mean, the Americans like us more than the Chinese and the Filipinos, but we're still below the Europeans. We barely get paid for all the work we do. I can't imagine that guy being rich."

Ranma gaped at him. "You mean…that idiot over there _lied_ to me? And I'm _married to him for nothing?_"

With a grim frown, Ryoga nodded.

Ranma let out an inhuman growl as her blue ki gathered around her. Surprised, Ryoga stared unabashedly at her as the petite girl stomped over to the other side of the carriage and, in one smooth uppercut, sent Kuno flying off the carriage and into the horizon. As Kuno screamed that he would find his goddess soon, the other passengers looked on warily at the unnaturally strong girl. With a huff and a rude gesture towards the direction she'd sent Kuno, Ranma walked back to her seat beside Ryoga and plopped down in the most unladylike way.

"Feel better now?" Ryoga asked, stunned.

"A little," Ranma admitted, her shoulders slumping, "But what am I supposed to do now? How am I gonna help my mother?"

Ryoga faltered as large, pleading blue eyes turned on him as if he had all the answers. He opened his mouth, but Ranma sighed and turned away abruptly.

"Sorry, this isn't your problem. I'll figure it out on my own. Where's your wife?"

Ryoga sighed bitterly. "She never came. At the last minute, she sent me a letter with one of the girls on board saying she couldn't leave her family and her pig farm."

Ranma frowned, placing a small hand on his arm. "I'm sorry."

"So, are you a martial artist?" Ryoga asked suddenly.

"I…yeah. My father always wanted a son to carry on the Saotome School of Anything Goes Martial Arts, but…"

"But then he had a daughter, huh?"

Ranma glanced away. "Y-Yeah. He still trained me, though. We went on training trips all the time all over Japan."

"That's pretty amazing," Ryoga grinned, a hint of a fang poking out, "You must be really accomplished. Since when have you been training?"

"Uh…since I was two."

Ryoga's eyes bugged. "_Two?_ Was your father a sadist?"

Ranma scowled. "That's one word for it…"

"I'm surprised your mother let it happen."

Ranma couldn't exactly tell Ryoga that it was based on an agreement between both parents that their usually-a-boy child be a man amongst men. They had even written a contract that stated failure was cause for seppuku. Thankfully, on the day father and son revealed to Nodoka that the contract couldn't be fulfilled, Nodoka had bought a dress and shoved Ranma into it; instead of pulling out her trademark sword, Nodoka had pulled out all the stops to help Ranma feel comfortable in both genders. She'd made an effort to convince Ranma that she was still _Saotome Ranma_ and her gender was whatever Ranma wanted it to be. She'd shown Ranma that women could be just as strong as men and that being a man didn't mean being arrogant and convinced he was the best, but it meant the same as being a woman—being a human being who was compassionate and kind, just like her mother, and a person who was strong and willing to protect those they loved, just like her father.

"I think she really wanted a son, too," Ranma said instead. "But she liked the idea of having a daughter."

"Oh, yeah? Well that explains why you speak like that."

"Like what?" Ranma asked, tilting her head.

"You say 'ore' instead of 'watashi' or 'atashi'. You totally talk like a guy."(i)

"Oh…I forgot to make sure I talk like a girl…"

"Well, that's not important," Ryoga shrugged. "Did your mom at least teach you how to act like a girl?"

Ranma beamed with pride. "Yep! I can cook, clean, wash clothes, and still kick any chauvinistic jerk's butt!"

Ryoga laughed. "Maybe we should spar some time, Ranma."

"Yeah? Think you handle me, Ryoga-chan?" Ranma smirked.

"Bring it on, princess."

Ranma pouted. "Don't you dare call me that."

Ryoga snickered. "I probably wouldn't if you didn't look so cute when you get mad." Immediately after, Ryoga's cheeks flushed as he realized what he'd just said. "I-I mean, well…y-you are cute and all but that's not my place to say. Well, I guess it doesn't matter if I say it, but I shouldn't have 'cause you're not _my_ wife, but if you were, I'd think you were really beautiful—ack! What am I saying?"

As Ryoga continued to stumble over his words, a warmth spread over Ranma's cheeks and her smile grew wider. "That's okay, Ryoga. I understand."

Finally, Ryoga stopped talking and smiled sheepishly at her. "So, uh," he began, hoping the change in subject would lessen the heat on his face, "Do you know where you live?"

Ranma frowned. "Oh, right. I didn't think of that."

The carriage stopped and the last few couples hopped off, heading towards their homes hand in hand. Ranma watched them go, wistfully. Some of those couples looked genuinely happy. Now, whether a woman or a man, Ranma would never have that. She was doomed to marriage with…_Kuno_. A disgusted shudder rippled through her. She jumped as a muscled arm wrapped around her shoulders and looked up at Ryoga in surprise. The man in question was blushing again; she hadn't noticed him scoot closer to her, but he was close enough that their knees were touching.

"Sorry…I don't mean to impose or something, but you were shivering, so…"

_Oh,_ Ranma realized, _he thought I was cold._

"I don't have much," Ryoga admitted, "but at least it's not a communal house like the others have. I built it myself. I guess you don't know where Kuno lives, so…if you need somewhere to stay…"

"I…that would be great, Ryoga," Ranma smiled. "If you don't mind, that is."

Ryoga grinned at her happily. "'Course not! Stay as long as you need to."

"Here's your stop, Ryoga-chan," the old horse driver said, stopping the carriage.

"Thanks, old man," Ryoga smiled. He helped Ranma off the carriage and lugged her bags onto his shoulder with ease. "I'll see you later!"

The man winked at them. "Have fun, kids." As he rode off, Ryoga made it a point to scoot away from Ramna a few inches.

"So, uh…" Ranma looked around, the tall grass impairing her view as she tried to figure out where to go. "I hope you didn't mean you built this grass. Cause if you did, I have bad news for you."

Ryoga snickered and, apparently over his small bout of bashfulness, gently grabbed Ranma's hand. "No, of course not. We need to walk the rest of the way."

Ranma looked down at their hands curiously. Ryoga followed her eyes and realized what he'd done. He immediately began to loosen his grip, only for Ranma to weave her fingers with his. Ryoga chanced a look up at Ranma's face; she smiled encouragingly at him.

The depressed aura of ki Ranma had sensed earlier was nearly gone. As she sat beside him on the carriage, it had been rolling off him in waves; now, his aura was calm and happy. Ranma didn't know what she did to make him so happy, but she figured that she could continue to keep him company to make sure Ryoga stayed that way. Unlike the many lecherous boys she knew back at school and her idiot husband, Ryoga seemed like a true gentleman. Whoever that girl was that had rejected him must've been a real idiot. Ranma couldn't be his wife or lover, but she could definitely be his friend. She'd seen girls holding hands with other girls and knew it was a friendly gesture to hold hands.

Absently, Ranma also realized that her girl half definitely found Ryoga attractive. She wasn't sure how she'd react to Ryoga as a guy, but she was sure that attraction would be gone. For now, she didn't mind giving into the whims of her girl side, if only to make Ryoga happy. When the time was right, she'd be sure to explain her situation to Ryoga. After all, he seemed like a reasonable guy.

"So, you gonna show me or what?" she asked.

Slowly, Ryoga wrapped his fingers around her tiny hand and he smiled back. "Let's go."

* * *

Ryoga hadn't lied. The house was well made, considering Ryoga's resources. There was a small sitting room with a low table and two mismatched pillows; a small bedroom with two futon pushed together, a mosquito net surrounding it; a kitchen separated from the sitting room by a thin wall, containing a stove, a kettle, and other odds and ends; and a small outhouse a few yards away that could be seen from the window in the kitchen. It was nothing like home, Ranma realized with some sadness, but it was quaint and comfortable.

Ryoga placed her belongings in the bedroom. Ranma followed him and noticed two dressers—one was old and worn and the other, of a more feminine design, looked like it was recently made.

"Was that one for her?" she asked abruptly.

With a wince, she immediately regretted asking as the depressed ki returned.

"…Yeah, this one was Akari-san's. You can use it if you like; but I'm sure Kuno will be back by tomorrow and you'll be going back with him."

Ranma scoffed. "You kidding? Consider this HQ. I'm hiding out until that idiot forgets about me."

Hesitantly, Ryoga smiled at her. "Really? I mean, I wouldn't mind if you stayed."

"Great!" Ranma bounced over, unpacking her clothes into Akari's would-be dresser. As she unpacked her underwear, Ryoga made it a point to look away politely.

"Are…Are you hungry?" he asked right as Ranma finished with her Chinese clothes.

Ranma's stomach chose that moment to growl loudly and Ryoga laughed. "I'll take that as a yes."

Though he knew she didn't need any guiding and though she knew she ought not to encourage him, Ryoga grabbed Ranma's hand again and Ranma didn't object. They walked to the kitchen, chatting about the different techniques they'd learned. In a few minutes, Ranma learned how to maneuver around the kitchen and forced Ryoga to sit down as she cooked their meal. In about an hour, Ryoga was treated to delicious, flavorful rice balls and buns filled with vegetables.

Ryoga hummed in appreciation. "You definitely weren't lying about your cooking. These are great!"

"Told ya," Ranma preened, chest puffed out in pride.

"So, uhm," Ryoga carefully placed his chopsticks down. "I guess I should separate the futon now. We have a hard day ahead of us."

Ranma glanced toward the bedroom. "Will the net be able to stretch that far? I saw a small river near here. The mosquitoes must get really awful at night."

"Well, don't worry about that. I'll be fine."

Ranma pouted. "Okay, there's the line. You're not gonna get yourself sick just to make me comfortable. We can share the net. Leave the futon together."

Ryoga blushed, looking at his lap. "I just mean...it isn't proper. I don't want your honor being brought into question because you shared a bed with me. They'll already be talking about how you punted Kuno off the carriage and went to another man's home...I don't want your reputation ruined. They might pay you less and you won't be able to help your mom."

"Oh," Ranma blushed, "Well, how much do I get paid anyway?"

"About 55 cents an hour."

"55?!" Ranma balked. "Kuno said he gets paid a dollar! Was he lying about that too?"

"Well, no," Ryoga frowned. "Men get paid more than women here."

Ranma twitched. "...What if I were a guy? Then my reputation would be fine and I'd get paid a dollar an hour, right?"

Ryoga raised a brow. "Well, I guess. But you're definitely not a guy. There's no way you could pull that off."

With a scowl, Ranma slipped out of her kimono, leaving her half naked and in her boxers. Ryoga's eyes widened in shock and he stared openly, much as he told himself to look away. Without warning, Ranma grabbed the tea pot and poured the hot water over herself. Suddenly, the shapely womanly body Ryoga was memorizing melted away into hard, chisled muscled covered in wisps of hair. The delicate arms became bigger and more defined; the flat, toned stomach became hard abs; the slender legs, though still hairless, became thicker with muscle; the red hair blended back to black and her once light blue eyes had darkened to cobalt; gone were the perky breasts and ample bottom, much to Ryoga's astonishment. Standing before him was a very much male Saotome Ranma.

"Nice to meet you, Ryoga," Ranma said, his voice only about two octaves deeper than his female voice, "The name is Saotome Ranma and I'm the sole heir to the Saotome Anything Goes School of Martial Arts. Oh, and sometimes I turn into a girl."

"...Sometimes?" Ryoga asked, voice cracking.

"I fell into a cursed spring. I turn into a girl when I get hit with cold water." With a grimace, Ranma explained his trip to China, his training with Genma, and how they both fell into cursed springs and came out in their different forms. After a few minutes of silence, Ryoga recovered.

"S...So, you were born a guy? So, you _lied _to me?"

Ranma winced guiltily. "I couldn't tell you the truth in front of everyone like that."

"Is that story about your mother even true?" Ryoga cried, standing, his entire aura screaming in anger.

"Of course it is!" Ranma shouted back. "Why the hell do you think I'd marry a guy like _Kuno_ if I weren't desperate to help her?"

Ryoga faltered, but his expression remained angry. "What about marrying a girl with a big dowry?"

Ranma frowned, looking away. "No one wanted to marry a...freak. There was one girl...but my mom taught me to be a housewife, remember? She liked having a daughter _and _a son in one person. Akane...she could never get over my being half girl. She was always jealous of my other half and she refused to marry me unless I found a cure."

Despite himself, Ryoga softened. "So, why didn't you find a cure?"

"Like I had the time," Ranma sighed, "I'd already spent three years in my engagement with Akane. Mom was sick. Something needed to be done sooner rather than later. Finding a cure could take decades. I have months. Besides, I...I don't exactly mind being half girl."

Ryoga choked. "Excuse me?"

Face burning, Ranma looked away. "It doesn't matter if I'm a boy or a girl, okay? I'm still _the _Ranma Saotome. I'm still a martial artist who can cook, clean, wash clothes, and kick any chauvinistic jerk's butt!"

Ryoga shook his head. "This can't be real. I can't handle this."

Ranma sighed and grabbed his glass of water, throwing it on himself. Instantly, male Ranma was once again replaced with female Ranma.

"Oh for—would you cover up!?" Ryoga blushed furiously, looking away.

Ranma slipped back into her kimono, frowning. "Look, Ryoga...I know you didn't expect any of this when you helped me out; you don't know how thankful I am that you did. If you hadn't have told me the truth, I would be stuck fighting that Kuno jerk off."

Ryoga scoffed. "Does it matter? That's not your real body anyway."

With a sad look on her face, Ranma gently touched Ryoga's shoulder. Despite himself, the man found himself looking back in the aqua eyes. Immediately, he was lost at sea.

"Why is it not my body? Because I wasn't born in it? I feel in this body; I felt when you held my hand, I felt when you put your arm around me, and I felt your ki. I'd feel it if Kuno tried to touch me in any way. Maybe I wasn't born a girl and maybe I don't think like one, but this is my body because I'm in it. How'd you feel if someone groped you like that?"

"I..." Ryoga sighed, "I'm sorry. That was really insensitive of me. I guess...well, having a girl body is every guy's dream, yeah? I guess we don't think of what it's like to be on the other side of all that attention."

Ranma smiled. "It's okay. I was super macho about this at first, too. I thought I was weak for it," the girl grinned mischievously, "But imagine fighting an opponent that's super strong with hot water and super fast with cold water."

"That's some challenge," Ryoga grinned weakly. "Look...it's just...maybe I was reading this wrong, but there was kind of...There was something there, Ranma, between us. Did I imagine that or...?"

Ranma blushed, rubbing her arm. "Ah...no...y-you didn't imagine that. You see, when I turn into a girl...I'm really a girl. I become attracted to boys and when I have my...er...my monthly...I stay as a girl for a week, even if I get hit with hot water. If I wanted to...I could have a family."

Ryoga's eyes widened again. "I...Wow. That...I have no idea how to reply to that."

"Look, we can figure this out later. For now, I really need your help. I promise, as soon as I make enough money to send back home to my mom, I'll be out of your hair; for now, though, please don't tell anyone about this and please don't kick me out! My mom's depending on me. I can't go back empty handed! I'll do anything!"

Ryoga stared intently at Ranma; this girl...boy?...was asking him for help desperately and offering anything in return. Even knowing that Ranma was really a boy, it was impossible to ignore how beautiful his buxom girl half was. Ryoga could quite frankly do anything he wanted with Ranma. Akari had left him after all; his one chance at true happiness was shattered when Akari sent that letter. Whatever hopes Ryoga was starting to foster with Ranma had died the second she became a he. But that didn't mean Ryoga couldn't experiment with Ranma. He could have his own personal friend-with-benefits and when he was done with her, she'd become a he again and go off to his sick mother.

But, Ryoga sighed, he wasn't like that. Ryoga could never take advantage of Ranma that way, even if the boy/girl had lied. Despite her inconvenient misleading, Ranma seemed like a genuinely good person who sincerely only wanted the best for her mother. Besides, Ranma had said that she was half girl, half boy and that the girl half was attracted to boys.

The girl half was attracted to _Ryoga_.

They would need to figure this whole mess out—Ranma's marriage, Ranma's gender, their relationship—but Ryoga couldn't turn someone in trouble out on their rear just because of a little white lie. And, having only been there a few hours, Ryoga's house didn't feel so lonely anymore with her around. Maybe she wasn't exactly what Ryoga wanted, but she was there to cheer him up when Akari dumped him.

At the very least, Ranma had become Ryoga's friend. _And friends help friends_, Ryoga thought with a nod.

"Ranma...if you pull your weight around here, I don't mind if you stay. We're friends now."

Ranma's large blue eyes glistened as a huge smile spread across her face. "Really?"

"And...I don't really use all that much money, honestly. I don't mind helping you send some to your mom so she can get better. After we hear word that she's improved...well, you and I need to figure out what's going to happen here with us. With the money we make, you probably won't be going back to Japan for a long time. I'm really attracted to you when you're like this so...so when your mom is better, you and I need to have a long conversation."

Ranma beamed, nodding enthusiastically. "Whatever you say!" With a cry of joy, the red head threw herself at Ryoga, clutching at him. Flustered, the man gingerly wrapped his arms around her tiny waist, feeling immensely awkward.

"Ranma...?"

"Thank you so much, Ryoga," she whispered, voice shaking. "If we save my mom...I..."

Ryoga's expression softened as Ranma's shoulders began to shake. Ignoring whatever voice in his head kept reminding him that he was really hugging a guy, Ryoga sat down and drew the petite woman into his lap, holding her closely. He looked straight ahead, out the window, pretending to look at the moon and pretending he couldn't feel her tears soaking his shirt.

"I-I'm only crying 'cause I'm a girl now!" she muttered, hiccupping. "D-Don't think I go around crying like some s-sissy all the time!"

"I know, Ranma," Ryoga patted her back comfortingly, "I know."

* * *

Call me suicidal, because I love starting new stories when I'm overworked.

All right, before the reviews pour in, let's get some things straight.

1! Yes, Ryoga knows his own way around. His sense of direction is very much intact right now. If you're going to point out that he should be super lost, give it a minute. We'll get there.

2! Ranma and Ryoga are OOC and way too mature about their situation. …Welp.

3! Lastly, the quick attraction. …WELP.

Honestly, I don't want to have to go out of my way to explain myself for this story. Ranma and Ryoga are adults in this story with a deeper level of maturity and understanding. They're not their hot-headed teenage selves; they've faced hardships and they're continuing to do so. They're stuck in a place where they work 18 hour days and get paid the bare minimum. I like to think a life like that makes you a bigger person along the way.

(i) This is hard to portray in an English fic. In Japanese, boys and girls have different ways of addressing themselves. They vary from polite to rude. Instead of using the girl version of "I" (watashi, atashi), Ranma—in this story—refers to herself in the rude boy "I" (ore). When she talks to Ryoga, she uses the rude masculine "you" (omae). I understand this is confusing, but it's important to the story.

Also, did you know that ffnet's auto-correct constantly suggests that I use less complex phrases? How ridiculous.


	2. The Grandmaster

I just freaking love Ryoga, is all.

Also, warning time!

This fic is based in the early 20th century when the practice of Picture Brides was frequent. It's based in a place where there was clear discrimination and slurs towards the Japanese, Chinese, and Filipinos that went to Hawaii. For a clearer picture, this is around the mid-1920s, before the Great Depression and after World War I.

I would try to give more context history wise, but the only really relevant history is what happened in Asia, which is not something most people outside Asia are familiar with. It would be irrelevant to add if no one gets it. I added the bare minimum, but the years line up. There is a timeline provided below (which I can't show before the chapter, because it'll spoil everything), in case you need further clarification.

* * *

"Thank you so much, Ryoga," she whispered, voice shaking. "If we save my mom...I..."

Ryoga's expression softened as Ranma's shoulders began to shake. Ignoring whatever voice in his head kept reminding him that he was really hugging a guy, Ryoga sat down and drew the petite woman into his lap, holding her closely. He looked straight ahead, out the window, pretending to look at the moon and pretending he couldn't feel her tears soaking his shirt.

"I-I'm only crying 'cause I'm a girl now!" she muttered, hiccupping. "D-Don't think I go around crying like some s-sissy all the time!"

"I know, Ranma," Ryoga patted her back comfortingly, "I know."

* * *

Ryoga's eyes fluttered open as the birds' chirping grew louder outside. With a yawn, he stretched his arms above his head, frowning at the mosquitoes attached to the net around the bed. Sighing, he looked down; laying on his chest was his new friend, Ranma. Despite knowing that, should anyone catch them, Ranma's honor could be called into question, Ranma had decided she would be more comfortable sharing a bed with Ryoga as a girl. One arm curled under her as the other rested gently on Ryoga's chest and one leg was thrown over his waist, hooked around his hips. All around, it was a pretty disgraceful picture, compounded by the fact that Ranma preferred to sleep in a tank top and boy shorts.

Not that Ryoga had helped, by wearing only his pants to bed. A rosy flush covered the man's cheeks as he tried to delicately remove himself from her grasp, but Ranma held fast the second she felt Ryoga moving. Evidently, Ryoga decided, the only way out of this was to wake her up. It was just as well; it wouldn't do to be late on the first day of work.

"Ranma," Ryoga said, poking her forehead, "Wake up."

"Five more minutes…" she muttered.

Ryoga rolled his eyes. "Kuno is here to pick you up."

Immediately awake, the redhead shot up and looked around frantically. "No! I'm not here!"

"Well, now that you're up, let's get ready, yeah?"

Ranma pouted, glaring at a grinning Ryoga. "That was dirty."

"Whatever. Go change into a boy and into some work clothes. We've got a _long_ day ahead of us."

"You know, you're taking this really well," Ranma observed.

Ryoga shrugged, pulling aside the net. "You could have been a really good cross-dresser. At least you're actually a girl half the time."

After a quick breakfast of leftovers and a quick splash of boiling water, Ranma dressed into his red Chinese shirt with buttons going down the front, black pants, and black shoes. Ryoga put on his yellow shirt and shoes as well, and gave some spare rope to Ranma so the other boy could tie the ropes around his lower legs. As they walked, an awkward silence filled the air and festered.

Finally, Ranma broke. "I…uh…This is lame."

"Yeah, it is." Ryoga agreed. "It was…strangely easier to talk to you when you were a girl."

"Well, as a boy, you don't have to hold back when we spar. I bet you wouldn't have taken me seriously as a girl until I kicked your butt."

Ryoga snorted. "You wouldn't have kicked my butt, idiot. I definitely would've won."

"I could beat you as a girl, loser!"

"You couldn't beat a paper bag, dumbass!"

"You just wait!"

They glared at each other for a moment…then burst out laughing. With twin grins, they turned away and walked towards the fields, the awkward and stilting air gone. Ryoga shook his head; so, he was attracted to Ranma's girl half and he wanted to protect and care for her. But, when it came to Ranma's boy half, he could definitely stop being so careful and could be competitive. While thoroughly confused—how was he supposed to act when _girl_ Ranma came back?—Ryoga figured it was nice to have someone who he could relate to.

Just as he expected, though, Ryoga was definitely _not_ attracted to Ranma's boy half. After their awkward morning, all Ryoga felt towards the dark-haired form was a sort of brotherly kinship—someone who, even without talking and even without having had the life Ryoga had, could understand. Ranma knew what it meant to be a martial artist; Ranma knew that life wasn't always easy and didn't look forward to a pampered life; Ranma seemed like the sort of person who went out of his way to help his friends.

And that's all Ryoga and male Ranma could be. _Friends_. But, Ryoga sighed dejectedly, Ryoga wanted to be _more_ than friends with Ranma's girl half. Ryoga _knew_ that both Ranma were the exact same person. The things he found attractive about Ranma as a person were the same things Ryoga should find attractive when Ranma was a boy—Ranma did not change, after all. But, perhaps because he was shallow or perhaps because Ryoga could not overcome his sexual preferences, Ranma as a man simply was not attractive.

If Ryoga wanted a future with girl Ranma, did that mean accepting a future with boy Ranma? Would Ranma be his girlfriend half the time and his best friend the other half? Was that even _fair_ to Ranma? Ryoga shook his head minutely; he'd already told Ranma the night before that this was a conversation they needed to have later. Thinking about it now would only make things awkward again.

They arrived at the field, where Ranma met the overseer, a Portuguese man with a clear distaste for all the workers.

"_Here, Jap_," the man sneered, "_Wear this number all the time. When your turn to get paid, we call this number_." The overseer looked at the paper, after writing Ranma's name. "_Says here you supposed to be woman_."

Ranma looked at Ryoga, who translated for the overseer.

"Oh," Ranma replied, "I guess it just comes natural for you to make stupid mistakes, what with you being an idiot."

Ryoga rolled his eyes, turning to the overseer and speaking in English. "_Is mistake. _Ranma_ sound like girl name, but is boy name in Japan._"

The overseer grunted and stared at Ranma suspiciously; eventually, he gave up and pulled his hat back on, turning away from Ranma and Ryoga. Ranma wasted no time making a rude gesture at the man's back. Despite himself, Ryoga snickered and pulled Ranma's hands back down when the overseer turned back towards them.

"Idiot, don't get yourself in trouble with him. At the end of the day, he's the one delivering our money," Ryoga scolded, though there was a smile on his face.

"Fine, fine," Ranma nodded, then grabbed his dog tag and turned it over. "Huh. 9028 is my number."

"Mine is 5206. Payday is every Friday. We all gather here and they call our numbers. We come forward and they hand us an envelope with our money in it. On the outside of the envelope, they write down how many hours we worked and how much money we got for it."

"You've been here a while, huh?" Ranma asked, wide blue eyes blinking at Ryoga.

Ryoga frowned. "I was orphaned. My dad was looking for work and ended up in China…in Tsingtao. When we got news of the German occupation, when we found out my dad had been caught in the cross fire, my mom just lost it. She sort of went insane and…killed herself. I had no other family. I decided the only thing I could do then was to come take a contract here. I thought I could make enough money and go home. I realized pretty soon that wasn't going to happen."

The man bit his lip, looking away. He hated revealing something so shameful about his family, but he reasoned that he ought to. Ranma didn't have to tell Ryoga the truth about Ranma's gender, but the other boy had chosen to. The least Ryoga could do was be a little honest himself. It didn't mean Ryoga had to see the pity in Ranma's eyes.

Ryoga glanced up in surprise as Ranma grabbed the front of Ryoga's shirt and dragged him off into the tall grass. To anyone else, it looked like Ranma was getting ready to beat Ryoga up. With a frown, Ryoga followed the other boy until they reached a small river. Getting on his knees, Ranma scooped some water into his hands and splashed himself with it until he was a she again. Then, without warning, Ranma stood, whirled around, and hugged Ryoga as tightly as she could.

"I thought this would be awkward if I was a guy," she explained.

Numbly, Ryoga nodded and hugged her back, burying his nose in her hair.

Ranma clutched at his clothes, frowning. Since she'd become a boy again, she'd been disturbed. Even though she was a boy, she had felt a draw to Ryoga. There was a sense of friendliness that just wasn't possible when she was a girl, but Ranma still felt…_attracted_ to Ryoga. And so, even though _he_ should've only patted him on the shoulder and said _he_ was sorry, Ranma decided to listen to _her_ instincts and hug Ryoga. Of course, Ranma could tell that the attraction when he was a boy was completely one-sided. In what was probably a cosmic joke, Ranma's girl half was Ryoga's possible girlfriend and her boy half was Ryoga's possible _brother_. It didn't sit well with Ranma because, unfortunately, Ranma's boy half was apparently hoping he and Ryoga could also be friends…of a different sort.

Face buried in Ryoga's collar, Ranma sighed gently, mind whirling. True, she spent three years with her engagement to Akane and had genuinely liked the girl—but never in a romantic fashion. Whenever it came time to kiss her or to profess some feeling, Ranma simply couldn't do it. She'd accidentally seen the girl naked more times than any man could dream for, but was never turned on. If anything, she was always scared for her life. Even as a he, as a person who ought to be attracted to that sort of thing, Ranma never saw what the other boys were so desperate to get a peek at. Akane was more a sister, in the end. It never occurred to Ranma that the lack of attraction might mean a different preference in sexes.

Ranma sighed again, her lips brushing against Ryoga's clavicle. It took years, but Ranma _did_ accept the girl half. In fact, until it was time to become a picture bride, Ranma had begun to enjoy the girl half. It had its difficulties—disgusting men staring at her, trying to grab her, and then there was _Happosai_—but people didn't automatically think badly of her and call her a pervert when she found herself in a precarious situation; Ranma could vary her outfits, unlike her male form, and wear outfits that made her feel…confident; she could still fight just as well as her male half, and she was twice as fast; and her mother…

Nodoka had loved Ranma's curse. Genma taught Ranma all about what it meant to be a man by day and, by night, Nodoka taught Ranma how to be a woman. The poor woman had to break through 14 years worth of male chauvinistic arrogance, but Nodoka succeeded. And it began with Wing Tsun. Nodoka insisted Genma take Ranma to meet Grandmaster Ip Man to learn the style; after being beaten brutally by the Master, Ranma listened to Ip Man tell the story of Yim Wing-tsun. To Ranma, it was astounding to hear of a style so efficient being created by a woman. Ranma, to date, was Ip Man's fastest learning student—at age 15, it took Ranma one year to master Wing Tsun. Quickly, she incorporated much of the style into her own varied fighting. In that year, Ranma quickly learned that being a woman did not mean being weak. A few weeks later, she met Akane.

That lesson was hard to remember.

Never had she met someone who was so kind and yet so hard-headed. Akane sincerely _was_ a good person, but she was too judgmental and quick to blame. She never listened to Ranma when the redhead tried to defend herself and Akane never talked first—her fists did all the talking. As strong as Akane tried to be, Ranma could see that all her insecurities had formed a sort of shell around the short-haired girl. Regretfully, Ranma didn't do a thing to alleviate those insecurities. If anything, Ranma probably only added to them. It wasn't until her last year at the Tendo home that Ranma realized just how fragile Akane really was. Beneath all that bluster was a girl who was terrified of being too manly to be loved, but who felt deep pride and love toward her father's dojo and was unwilling to relinquish what was to be her inheritance. Kasumi and Nabiki could never be martial artists—though Kasumi had the relaxed aura and Nabiki had the potential. No, Akane decided that she would inherit the dojo, teach at the dojo, and live at the dojo. In the end, it wasn't _just_ Ranma being a better wife that kept Akane from marrying Ranma.

It was the fact that marrying Ranma meant living under the Saotome name instead of the Tendo name.

Ranma kept in touch with Ip Man. In his letters, she could remember the wistful way he would talk about Gong Er, the one woman Ip Man really loved. Gong Er took vows to never marry, never teach, never have children; somehow, Akane reminded Ranma of Gong Er and the redhead sincerely hoped that Akane would never lead the same, lonely path. Unfortunately, it took two and a half years for Ranma to see the whole picture, but those years were valuable nonetheless. Ranma had learned to be a proper woman and a proper man; she learned the difficult lives women lead as people who are considered subordinate; she learned that she and Akane had more in common than she realized; she learned her parents loved her, no matter what gender she preferred; and she spent time with her mother in a way being a boy had never allowed.

However, Ranma never considered that her boy half would be attracted to men. Then again, Ranma never considered that she'd enjoy being a woman half the time—that she'd spend most of her time _as_ a woman. She never considered that cooking would be fun, that making her own dress would be satisfying, that being able to beat someone as a woman would be so exhilarating. Did that mean she liked being a woman? Did that mean she was willing to make a transition and be a _permanent_ woman?

Ryoga was right, Ranma realized. There was still so much about the curse that Ranma didn't understand. She'd heard of others who'd been cursed—like some poor fool who'd fallen into the Cursed Spring of the Drowned Duck—and who didn't suddenly feel like their other forms were melding into their regular forms' lives. Drowned Duck guy didn't start quacking or liking girl ducks, as far as Ranma had heard. So, it didn't seem likely that Ranma started liking boys because half of her likes boys. If anything, it seemed more likely that she was willing to embrace liking boys as a girl because liking boys as a boy never occurred to Ranma. And right now, it was all too much to think about.

"Are you okay?" Ryoga suddenly asked. "You've been awfully quiet."

"Just thinking," Ranma whispered.

"Oh," Ryoga replied quietly. His head moved the barest of inches, moving his nose away from Ranma's hair so he could look down into upturned, aquamarine eyes. "What about?"

Ranma's arms moved, one wrapped around Ryoga's shoulder and the other slid down to his chest as her body pivoted slightly and her head shifted up. "Lots of things; mom, me, you."

Ryoga tilted his head, looking directly into her eyes, their noses touching. His green eyes slid down to her lips, then back up. Without realizing it, he found one of his hands grasping Ranma's hips tightly, the other wrapped around her small waist. If she weren't a martial artist, she might've been in pain, considering his grip. Ryoga bit his lip, his fang threatening to cut into it; eventually, the man sighed, wrapped both arms around Ranma's waist and hugged her close. After a few seconds, he let her go and put his hands on her shoulders. "…We should get to work."

Ranma pouted, a deep blush across her cheeks, and Ryoga grinned in amusement.

"Tease," she finally replied, voice low and meek.

Ryoga chuckled good-naturedly and turned away, walking toward the foliage.

"H-Hey, Ryoga?"

The man in question turned, surprised to see Ranma's uncomfortable expression. "Yes?"

"…There's a lot going on in my head right now. I thought I had everything figured out, but I don't. I'm sort of lost right now. I mean, I usually always find my own way and I know I can do it, but..."

"Ranma," Ryoga said seriously, beside her once more with a hand cupping her cheek, "I'm sure you always find your way. But, if you ever get lost, even a little, I'll always find you."

Ranma nodded, a soft expression on her face. "Thank you."

Ryoga smiled, putting some well-needed distance between them. "C'mon, you big sap, let's go find some hot water."

He walked back into the grass; Ranma stood there for a few seconds, staring at his back curiously. She held up her hand and looked at it carefully—turning it around and looking at her hand from all angles—then delicately touched her fingers to her lips. Without warning, she slapped herself hard, shook her head, and ran off after Ryoga. "Who are you calling a sap!? You're the one spouting off love lines from a bad romance movie!"

She reached him quickly and walked beside him, arms crossed over her chest.

"Was that…?" she whispered.

Ryoga nodded. "Yeah, he was there."

* * *

Kuno stood paralyzed behind the tree, watching between the branches as his beloved pigtailed goddess was defiled in front of him. Imagine! Finding his supposedly pure wife in the arms of another man! Just as the throes of heartache and betrayal threatened to overcome him, Kuno snapped out of his depression long enough to realize his poor maiden was being duped.

The girl came from a rich-gone-poor family; she was obviously sheltered and did not know any better. After being sucker-punched off the chariot—likely by that scoundrel who held his wife—the poor pigtailed girl probably thought Kuno was dead. That man most probably lied to his pigtailed goddess and claimed that, with Kuno dead, she was his. What was his name again…? _Hibiki_, Kuno thought, scowling. That bastard Hibiki tried to kill Kuno and was now moving in on his poor, innocent wife! Kuno had to do something. But, Kuno had seen Hibiki work before; unlike the other men, Hibiki was trained by the old Chinese woman. The woman didn't have many pupils, other than her great granddaughter, but those she did choose to teach were those with great power and potential. _Of course_, Kuno was already so far advanced that he didn't _need_ teaching from the old hag, but she _had_ taught Hibiki some pretty frightening moves…like the _Bakusai Tenketsu_. Kuno shuddered.

No, there was a smarter way to get around this treachery. It was unfortunate that Kuno had not been there to hear the whole conversation, but he'd heard enough.

_Always find her, you say?_ Kuno thought, a smirk on his face_, We'll just see about that._

Swiftly, the bokken wielder ran to the other side of the field, where the women worked. At the top of the hill, the old Chinese woman Cologne stood, viciously beating the overseer with her staff for making a pass at one of the girls. He waited patiently as she dealt the appropriate punishment.

Thirty minutes later, she finally acknowledged him.

"Ah, Kuno, what brings you here?" she asked, in fluent Japanese.

"I need a favor. I am willing to pay you whatever you want."

"Really? We don't make much here, Kuno," Cologne pointed out, "What's so special that you're willing to offer me so much?"

"My new wife!" Kuno exclaimed, whipping out the picture of the pigtailed girl. Cologne raised a brow as she looked at the picture.

"She's lovely. What about her?"

"She's been deceived by that Hibiki fellow! When my back was turned, that monster threw me off the carriage and stole away into the night with my fragile goddess. I saw him holding her earlier, the scoundrel, whispering sweet nothings and assuring her I was dead! He wants to steal her, you see. However, I recognize that your training has made it so that I may be injured in a fight with him; I can't let my wife worry over my safety any more than she already has."

"I see," Cologne bounced onto her staff and off the field, toward a small cottage. "Follow me and we'll discuss what we can do about this."

Inside the small hut, Cologne prepared some tea and sat upon her staff again, motioning for Kuno to continue.

"Earlier, I heard him say that he will always find her. I wanted to know if there was a way to ensure that would _never_ happen."

"Hmm…Ryoga was one of my better students. A bit too mopey; he could have excelled if he let go of all that anger and sadness. I refuse to kill him. However, though I doubt it was _him_ who punted you off the carriage…" In fact, the old Amazon had heard rumors already that a certain redheaded woman had been the culprit, "it is disgraceful to pursue another man's wife—dead or alive—without giving her a proper mourning period. He must be punished."

Cologne hopped over to one of her cabinets, took out a bottle filled with purple dust, and poured some of the dust into a cup filled with tea. "He wishes to find her whenever she is lost? Then we will make sure that he _never_ finds anything. Bring him here; tell him I wish to speak to him. Once he drinks this tea, his sense of direction will be cursed."

Cologne's aura darkened and spread, the hairs on Kuno's neck standing involuntarily.

"He'll never be able to find his own way, much less your wife."

"And this curse," Kuno pursued, clearing his throat, "It can't be broken?"

"Oh, it can. All curses can, if the cursed one is willing to look hard enough for it. But I doubt Ryoga will ever find the cure."

"Why is that?"

Cologne rolled her eyes. "He won't be able to _find_ anything."

"Oh!" Kuno's eyes widened. "I see. Well, I'll be back with the foul Hibiki."

With that, Kuno rushed out of the hut, seeking Ryoga. Once the man left, Cologne reached into the cabinet again, drawing out a bottle with blue powder, and she swiftly mixed a pinch of it into the cursed tea. Her hand waved above it, her ki mixing the drink, as she gazed into the muddled water.

"Not that Ryoga was ever any good at finding his own way," Cologne mused.

"Great grandmother?" a girl with long, blue hair, dressed in Chinese silk, stepped out of the shadows, an eyebrow raised in curiosity. "Why you help pervert man?"

"Ryoga had so much potential, Shampoo, to be your husband. But he was too bitter and angry; that was something you could never help him get rid of," Cologne sighed. "It seems this new woman…"

Cologne turned the photo over, reading the name.

"This Saotome Ranma, is able to bring Ryoga to the point of breaking Amazon law, even though he knows it well. When he agreed to be trained by me, he agreed to follow our rules."

Shampoo nodded. "Is forbidden to take living spouse if dead spouse not gone for one year. Is too, too disgraceful."

"And yet, he took this woman home with him. I don't believe that anything happened—if anything, Ryoga merely offered her a place to stay for the night. However, if he really did embrace her like Kuno says…"

"He break law," Shampoo finished.

"Yes. However, he shouldn't be punished too severely. From the sounds of it, this Ranma is not too pleased with her husband. I hear she was the one who threw Kuno off the carriage last night."

Shampoo tilted her head. "Wife throw pervert man?"

Cologne chuckled. "We will see soon enough what this Ranma is made of. In the meantime, let's see if she can help Ryoga overcome his impending curse."

"What cure curse, great grandmother?"

Cologne smiled. "It's so pathetically simple, dear great granddaughter. He merely has to find his way home. If he thinks about going home, if he finds his way home, the curse will be broken. It's that easy."

"Is not so easy," Shampoo smiled slyly. "Home not house idiot boy make; home not Japan or idiot boy's parents; home is happiness. Home is person who is other half of self."

Cologne nodded. "I have taught you well, great granddaughter. Now do me a favor and find me this Ranma. Challenge her to a fight. I want to see what this little chit can do."

Shampoo nodded. She bent down low, on the balls of her feet, then pushed herself up into a graceful arc, back-flipping out the window with a cat-like fluidity. Cologne looked on proudly, then turned to the door. A moment later, she heard a timid knock along with Ryoga's voice. She put the bottles away, assembled the tea, and opened the door.

"Come in, Ryoga. We have much to discuss."

* * *

Ranma breathed out in relief as the day had finally come to a close. Working on those darn fields, plowing and hacking and pulling…it was definitely some hard work. But it would keep him in shape for when he couldn't practice martial arts, Ranma realized. And his stamina and endurance had been worked harder than this before. If Ranma was only slightly winded, Ryoga must not have broken a sweat. Ranma stood up straight as realization hit him.

He hadn't seen Ryoga all day.

He'd seen Kuno—luckily, despite practically being twins, Kuno had been too stupid to make the association between Ranma and the pigtailed "goddess," and spent the whole day searching for her. Regardless, Ranma had run back to Ryoga's to get the water bottle his mother gave him, just in case. It was, thankfully, not needed. However, ever since Ryoga had been called away to that hut at the top of the hill, Ranma hadn't seen him. With a frown, Ranma quickly put his supplies away and ran to the cottage, hoping to find answers. Swiftly, but politely, he knocked on the door and wisely held in his scream of terror when an old ghoul opened the door.

"What can I do for you?" the old woman asked, staring a little too intently at Ranma's face.

"I…Well, my friend Ryoga came here earlier and I haven't seen him since. He's letting me stay at his place, so I don't want to go back without him."

"…_You_ are Saotome Ranma?" the hag asked, sounding genuinely surprised.

Ranma's gaping mouth and frozen composure was all the assurance she needed.

"How did you manage _this_, if you are a man?" she asked, holding Kuno's picture up.

Surprised, Ranma made to grab it, only for the old woman to deftly move it out of his reach. No matter how many times he made to grab it, the old woman kept avoiding him.

"Damn it!" he cursed. "Just what are you?! What have you done with Ryoga? Why do you have that picture and how do you know who I am?!"

With a scarily gleeful expression on her face, the old woman opened the door wider and motioned for Ranma to step in. "Let's discuss this over tea."

Reluctantly, Ranma walked in and sat at the small table. "I'm not stupid enough to drink whatever you're serving."

"Wise boy," Cologne complimented. "I wish I could say the same about Ryoga."

"What did you do to him?" Ranma growled, punching the table and demolishing it.

The woman leaped up, standing on her staff, and glanced down carelessly at her table. "You'll pay for that."

"Later. Tell me what I want to know!"

"Of course…once you do two things for me."

"I don't have to do shit for you!"

That scary expression was back. "Oh, yes you do, child. Unless you never want to find Ryoga again."

Wincing, Ranma realized he'd lost. "Fine. What do I have to do?"

"First, reveal to me how you fooled Kuno into thinking you were a woman." Though she'd interrogated Ryoga thoroughly, the man's sense of honor kept him from revealing all of Ranma's secrets. The only thing he divulged were the details of their little rendezvous that Kuno had seen. Anything before that, Ryoga refused to talk about. It made Cologne proud, but it also made her regret giving him a pinch of the cure powder in his tea.

With a frown, Ranma picked up the bucket by the door, felt the water, and splashed himself. Cologne's eyes widened in understanding as the redhead in the picture stood before her.

"You have been cursed at Jusenkyou. How?"

"My idiot father trained me there."

"What a coincidence. I trained my great granddaughter there."

"You must be an idiot, too."

"No," Cologne smiled, the expression somehow more unsettling, "She needed to be punished for being weak enough to lose to Ryoga."

"Ryoga's not a weakling!" Ranma growled.

"My, you're defensive."

"Whatever. What is this second thing you want?"

"…Why do you not seek a cure?"

Ranma rolled her eyes. "Talk about a non sequitur. I don't need a cure. I'm still Ranma. And I need to focus on helping my mom now before focusing on a cure, if there is one."

"There is," Cologne shrugged, "But I can already see you are not interested. Helping your mother, you said?"

"She's sick. I need money. Got fooled into marrying Kuno."

"And in your displeasure, wherein I assume Ryoga was the one to tell you the truth, you punted Kuno off the carriage and went back home with Ryoga, spending the night there."

"Yes."

"Does he know about your curse?"

"Yes."

"My, you two seem to know quite a bit about each other already."

"What the hell else do you want?" Ranma growled, getting more and more impatient.

"Shampoo," Cologne called, and the girl deftly slipped into the house.

"Shampoo?" Ranma looked at the girl, "Her? What about her?"

"Fight her," Cologne replied simply. "And show me your worth."

Ranma was about to argue, but the stone faced determination she saw in both their countenances told her it was pointless. If she wanted more information on Ryoga's whereabouts, she would have to do as they pleased. With a grin, she cracked her knuckles and neck, rotating her shoulder to ease the tension of a full day's work.

"Fine, bring it."

The girls walked outside and immediately began circling each other. Cologne followed stoically, throwing chui at Shampoo who caught them with ease. _Great_, Ranma frowned, _she's got weapons._ They continued to stalk around each other, prowling around in tandem. A stalk of sugar cane fell to the ground and both fighters advanced at blinding speeds. Shampoo swung one her chui above her head, aiming to crush Ranma with it, while the other swung in on the side. Ranma blocked both weapons with ease—one hand blocking each weapon—and kicked the other girl in the sternum. The soft looking kick sent Shampoo flying meters, until the girl landed in a tumble and finally regained her footing. Momentarily dazed, Shampoo recovered barely in time to block a swinging punch, but didn't see Ranma's legs coming up. One kick managed to break one of the chui, while the other made contact with her chin, sending the blue-haired girl flying. Shampoo recovered midair with a scowl, spun a few times and landed gracefully into a crouch, eying her opponent more carefully. Shampoo winced as the girl walked over to Shampoo's other discarded chui and, with a swift downward kick, broke that one, too.

The girl was more skilled than Shampoo gave her credit for. Shampoo shifted stances, determined to get serious. Infuriatingly enough, the girl shifted into a stance Shampoo couldn't recognize. It looked like the bastard child of the 64 hands, Wing Tsun, and Baguazhang.

Ranma frowned as she stared at Shampoo's one-legged, crane-like stance. Shampoo was good, but no match for her. Unlike Shampoo, Ranma was fighting for a good reason. _I'm not here to test out new meat,_ Ranma scowled. _I'm here to get Ryoga back!_ Letting out a battle cry, Ranma rushed towards Shampoo and made to strike, only to feint right as Shampoo tried to parry. Realizing that her body was angled in a way that couldn't defend a strike from the side, Shampoo attempted to brace herself. In retaliation, Ranma's leg rose all the way beside Ranma's head, and swung back down in a devastating arc as the back of her right fist swung outward, aiming for just below Shampoo's underarms. Shampoo immediately blacked out and fell to the ground. Ranma leaped away a small distance, ran back to the blue-haired Amazon, picked her up carefully, and carried her back to where the old ghoul was watching.

Ranma huffed, her forehead covered in sweat. "I win. Where's Ryoga?"

Cologne motioned for the redhead to place Shampoo down; Ranma complied, walking into the hut and placing the girl on a futon. As she did, Shampoo groaned and her eyes fluttered open.

"Ran…ma?" she muttered.

"Sorry I hit you so hard, Shampoo," Ranma replied.

Shampoo smiled weakly. "Is okay. Shampoo is warrior. Sometimes warrior take hard hits."

Ranma smiled back. "You're definitely a true warrior, Shampoo."

"In Amazon culture, when outsider woman defeat Shampoo, Shampoo give you kiss of death. It mean Shampoo hunt you down, forever, and try to kill you."

Ranma blanched.

"But, Shampoo no have friends here," the girl continued softly, "All other girls scared of Shampoo. They think Amazon not real Chinese. They say real Chinese work in field, not fight off gangster. They still mad Amazons no fight Germans when Tsingtao fall. They only want Shampoo around when they in danger. Only want great grandmother around when overseer is pervert. Shampoo no want more enemies. Is too, too sad. Shampoo want friend. Will Ranma be Shampoo friend?"

Ranma's heart ached as she stared into deep purple eyes. Shakily, Ranma smiled at Shampoo and held up her hand. Confused at first by the unfamiliar gesture, Shampoo raised her hand at Ranma's encouragement, and they clasped hands firmly.

"Let's be _best_ friends, Shampoo, whether I'm a boy or a girl."

Shampoo tilted her head, confused once again. "Boy or girl? That no matter. Ranma is Ranma, yes? Shampoo is friend with Ranma, not Ranma private places."

Ranma stared at Shampoo for a long while, then laughed like she'd never laughed before. Briefly, she explained to Shampoo that she was laughing because she was so happy—she'd never heard anyone make so much sense while making so little, after all—and Shampoo merely smiled back, content to have a new best friend.

"Ranma?" Shampoo ventured, sitting up carefully.

Wiping away a few tears, Ranma finally sobered enough to respond. "Yeah?"

"Pervert man come here. Ranma husband asked great grandmother to curse idiot boy. Now, idiot boy no have direction. Can never find home."

"What?" Ranma gasped.

"It's true," Cologne stated, standing in the threshold. "He is cursed."

"Why? He didn't do anything wrong!" Ranma frowned, turning toward Cologne.

"He agreed to live by Amazon rules when he trained under me. To pursue another man's woman—whether or not said woman _actually is_ a woman—is to break the law. Even if Kuno had died in that hit, Amazon law states the surviving spouse must mourn for a year and must not be disturbed. Ryoga would have broken that rule as well."

"Why you—!" Ranma growled, standing. Shampoo managed to pull the redhead back down, attempting to calm Ranma.

"Do not fret child. I will help both of you."

"Oh, I'd love to hear this."

"Ryoga had been taught our ways and our laws. For all intents and purposes, he is of the Amazon tribe now. Shampoo is my disciple, but she is no longer as malleable as she once was and is set in her style. She will represent the tradition of Amazonian fighting. You, however, can represent the modern style."

Ranma raised a brow. "Me?"

"You," Cologne smiled, "Posses the gift child. The ability to absorb and learn—just by seeing it once—any technique you are exposed to. You I can teach and you can continue to uphold, along with Shampoo, the Amazon culture when I am gone. However, where outside men can be adopted, outside women must marry in."

Ranma suddenly didn't like where this was going.

"I have provided Ryoga with the cure already. All he has to do is figure it out."

"What's the cure?" Ranma asked.

"Ranma is cure," Shampoo smiled. "When Ranma and idiot boy fall in love, Ranma represent home to idiot boy. Idiot boy think of Ranma, idiot boy come home to Ranma all by himself, and idiot boy is cured!"

"I'm the cure? You mean…he has to…fall in love? _With me_?"

Cologne shrugged. "Unless you'd rather him fall in love with Akari?"

Ranma scoffed. "She doesn't deserve him!"

"Well, then. Get to work whittling your way into Ryoga's heart," Cologne smirked.

"Shampoo help Ranma once Shampoo better!" the Amazon girl assured.

Ranma grinned back in appreciation. "Of course. Rest up real good, Shampoo." With a quick hug shared with Shampoo, the redhead took off running in the direction Cologne pointed her to, hoping it wasn't too late to find him.

. . .

It was too late to find him. Ranma groaned loudly, falling back onto the ground as she panted. She'd searched for _hours_ and couldn't even track the guy! With a sigh, Ranma reached around her waist, checking to make sure her water bottle was still attached to her sash. With a gasp, Ranma's eyes bugged as her hands met nothing but a curvy waist.

She'd dropped the bottle.

* * *

Ryoga didn't know how long he'd been wandering, but it was like his sense of direction just vanished. He couldn't even find his way outside the front door of Cologne's house! Once Cologne had informed Ryoga he'd be punished for breaking Amazon law, Ryoga knew it would be something terrible. He was sure his punishment was…at….home….

This _was_ his punishment!

With a frustrated growl, Ryoga punched a nearby tree, knocking it over cleanly. Cologne had gotten rid of his sense of direction. Now how was he supposed to help Ranma if he wasn't home? And what kind of punishment was this anyway? Why make it so he couldn't get home? Ryoga closed his eyes and thought hard. He groaned again when he realized what went wrong.

He promised Ranma he'd always find her. Cologne made sure that Ryoga wouldn't be able to find his own ass.

Ryoga cursed as he continued trudging along, kicking at the dirt. He was hungry, tired, and sore. All this was Ranma's fault! Ever since he'd met that girl, it seemed like there was always _something_ going wrong. First Kuno came back, then he got punished, now he couldn't find his way home!

…

Although, it wasn't like Ranma was aware of the strict Amazon laws Ryoga adhered to. She didn't mean to…seduce him the way she had, right? Hell, she probably wasn't even aware she'd _been _seducing him. And none of them meant for Kuno to find them. Ryoga was just unlucky was all. Glancing at the ground, Ryoga blinked in surprise as he narrowly avoided stepping on a water bottle. The label read "Emergency Only!" Ryoga shrugged; this was an emergency.

Deciding to use half the bottle to cool off, Ryoga opened the bottle and poured it on himself. Suddenly, a strange ripple rushed through Ryoga. Before his very eyes, the world got bigger and taller, his clothes fell off his body, and his senses heightened. He felt himself walking on all fours and, when he tried to speak, strange "bwee!" noises came out.

He sounded like a pig.

Ryoga glanced around frantically, feeling exposed—as only his bandana was still tied around him—and ran in a direction where he heard water. Instead, he found the burnt remains of the other field they'd worked on earlier in the year. Huffing angrily, Ryoga turned back to the woods.

_Ryoga!_

Was that a voice or his imagination? Ryoga looked around.

_Ryoga! Ryoga!_

It had to be his imagination. That sounded like Ranma. But there was no way Ranma could've known that Ryoga was missing. Unless…did she go investigate when Ryoga didn't immediately come back? Ryoga's entire body filled with a tingly warmth, until he remembered his current predicament.

"Ryoga! Where are….what's this?"

Ranma, shapely as ever, was _tall_. Ryoga was convinced something awful was in that water—perhaps another curse from Cologne. Ranma crouched down, balancing on the balls of her feet, staring at Ryoga. He tried desperately to talk to her, but the girl merely smiled at him.

"Awww, aren't you cute? Are you lost, little piglet?"

_Piglet?!_ Ryoga roared. _I'm a fucking piglet?!_

Suddenly, Ryoga felt himself getting picked up and looked up with wide eyes as Ranma hugged him close to her chest.

"Aw, I can't leave you out here. Huh…where'd you get that bandana? Did Ryoga give it to you? Have you seen him?! …Oh, you probably can't understand me." Ranma sighed, resting her chin on top of Ryoga's head.

Ryoga tried desperately to tell her that, _yes_, he was freaking Ryoga and he needed her help to stop being a pig! Ranma, instead, giggled as Ryoga waved stubby arms and legs around. Ranma smiled and kissed the top of Ryoga's head, immediately freezing Ryoga's movements.

"I never had a pet, you know. My parents wouldn't let me. What should I call you? Oh! P-chan! Get it?"

_P-chan_ rolled his eyes. _Very original, Ranma._

"C'mon, P-chan. Let's go home. It's getting dark and I don't know my way around very well. I guess I'll have to look for Ryoga tomorrow. I just hope he's okay."

As Ranma worried her bottom lip, cradling Ryoga gently in her arms and against her ample bosom, Ryoga felt the warmth from before spread again, more fiercely than before. Ranma sincerely cared about him, despite whatever confusion she was feeling at the moment. With a contented "bwee!", Ryoga cuddled closer to Ranma. Ranma, in return, scratched behind Ryoga's ears with gusto, turning the pig into delighted mush.

"Let's go take a hot bath together, P-chan!"

Immediately, all feelings of contentment and happiness left Ryoga in the wake of seeing male Ranma naked.

_Just. My. Fucking. Luck._

* * *

I understand how confusing the time thing is, so here is a general outline of relevant events.

TIMELINE:

1604—Cologne is born (YEP).

1893—Yip Man (Ip Man) is born.

1901—Ryoga is born.

1902—Ranma is born. Shampoo is born.

1904—Ranma and Genma go on a training trip.

1906—The Amazon village in China is finally overrun by German forces. Cologne moves to Hawaii with her infant great granddaughter, Shampoo.

1914—German occupation of Quingdao (then Tsingtao) is nearing its end as Britain and Japan interfere; Ryoga's father dies in crossfire during a fight between Chinese revolutionists and German Troops.

1915—Ryoga's mother's mental health worsens. She commits suicide. Ryoga is orphaned at 14.

1916—Ranma and Genma are afflicted with the Jusenkyou curse. They return to Japan and explain to Nodoka. Nodoka sends them back to China.

1917—Yip Man moves back to Foshan and becomes a police officer; Ranma and Genma arrive in Foshan and meet Yip man. Ranma undergoes training in Wing Tsun for one year.

1918—Ranma completes training, moves back to Japan, and meets Akane Tendo. Their engagement lasts three years.

1920—Ryoga makes enough money in odd jobs to move to Hawaii in search of a better life. Ryoga meets Cologne and begins training.

1921—Nodoka calls off Ranma and Akane's engagement. The Saotome family returns to their own home.

1922—Ryoga is formally accepted into the Amazon culture. He agrees to follow Amazonian law.

1923—The Saotome family falls into ruin as their dojo does not succeed. Unbeknownst to Ranma and Genma, Nodoka feeds herself less in order to feed her family. Within six months, she falls ill as her immune system can no longer fend off infections. Ranma sends her picture off to an arranger to be married in Hawaii.

1924—Ranma is sent to Hawaii to be married to Kuno. She meets Ryoga. Everything goes to hell in a hand basket.

I hope this clears things up a bit.


End file.
